Unaccompanied minors may be headed to New Orleans, Catholic bishiops urge compassion

Col. Mike Edmonson says the crisis along the country's southern border has effects here in Louisiana. Edmonson toured the border this week along with Governor Bobby Jindal to get a first-hand look at the challenges of border security. Especially with thousands of unaccompanied minors that have come into the country. New Orleans sees a lot of immigrant children from Central America who may have family or other ties to this area.

"In Louisiana in the New Orleans area there is a strong Honduran population in southeastern Louisiana that's coming across the border," Edmonson said.

"The crisis at the boarder is very serious. You are talking about more than 1,400 unaccompanied minors a week coming across the border," said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.He says Republican lawmakers are taking action to stem the tide of unaccompanied children."We passed a bill out of the house that does a number of things," Scalise said. "It allows governors from the border states to call up the National Guard," he said.

However, that measure has a slim chance of passing the Senate. Edmonson believes a more secure border would prevent some other crimes on Louisiana roadways. He points to a recent drug bust during a traffic stop.

"Five pounds of cocaine that was a direct correlation of a purchase that was made as it came across the border," Edmonson said.

The archdiocese is urging people to act with compassion when it comes to the children at the border. A statement from the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops says in part:

"Our catholic faith calls us to be compassionate to all as a concrete way of respecting the life and dignity of the human person. Such an approach is not conditioned upon one's immigration status or nationality. We urge all policy makers to avoid using inhumane language and from making unsubstantiated claims as this crisis unfolds."